Against the Mastiffs, Brest’s number 3 will have a lot to do with marking Jonathan David, the top European scorer since the start of 2024 with 14 goals, like Kylian Mbappé, but the latter scored two penalties. A challenge worthy of one of the guarantors of Finistère’s solidity, who has become essential in the left central position of the Brest defense this season, after having been used as a full-back for a good part of last season.
Brassier, who celebrated his 100th in Ligue 1 against Lens last weekend, has started 22 times and missed only three matches, all due to suspension. Above all, when he was there, his performances greatly contributed to the exceptional results of the Bretons. “He played every match and if he plays all the time, it’s because he’s performing well. And we have the impression that he progresses with each outing, culminating in his match in Nice (0-0) where he was very efficient in his duel against Moffi,” underlined his trainer Eric Roy at the start of the match. month of October.
Loaned by Stade Rennais in October 2020, then purchased in July 2021, the native of Argenteuil, in the Paris region, nevertheless took time to find a place in the Brest squad. But at 24, he is finally expressing the full extent of his potential, with impressive regularity in performance. “We had to make him aware of certain things, notably his quality as a defender, his athletic quality. Having to invest more in the match by being more of a boss, talking more, which he does a lot today, even in training (…) He is now becoming a real leader, a real pillar,” also explained Roy in an interview with Ouest-France in August 2023. A development made possible by the work of the person concerned, firstly on the tactical aspect. “It is in understanding the game that I have progressed the most, how to defend in different situations. Knowing what call an attacker will make in key moments,” explained the left-hander to Ouest-France last April.
But also on a mental level, with a specialist. “It helped me a lot. I was able to take a step back from my frustration, my incomprehension, from the game, or even from certain choices. The goal was to succeed in asserting oneself on the pitch, but also during training, to put oneself more forward, to simply open up,” he said in the same interview with Ouest-France.
Efforts which are bearing fruit this season to the point that the defender aroused desire during the last transfer window. Monaco even made an offer of more than 10 million euros, refused by the Brest leaders who wanted to keep their player until the summer, while Porto and AC Milan are also monitoring the defender under contract until June 2025. Nothing to disturb the serenity of the U20 international, still as reliable since the start of the calendar year.
His only false note took place against PSG, at the beginning of February in the round of 16 of the Coupe de France, when he was sent off for a rough sole on Kylian Mbappé. “He is learning, he remains a young central defender with a lot of future and qualities but he continues to learn in every match,” Eric Roy played down. Among her areas of progress, Lilian Brassier has notably identified her offensive contribution.
“I would like to improve my statistics. The other seasons, I was down to one goal and one assist, but last year I flopped (laughs). It’s clear that I would like to score more,” he said this summer. His tally is currently still stuck at one goal, scored in Le Havre on the second day of L1, but he has nine matches left to do better. Jonathan David and the Lille residents have been warned.
